China Golden Triangle & Yangtze River Cruise

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Beijing

  Upon your arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport, your personal guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. It usually takes around one hour and the guide will give you a brief introduction to Beijing on the road. The rest of the day is yours to relax and recover from jet lag.

  • Beijing

• Day 2: Beijing

  Start your city exploring from Tiananmen Square, the political center and the spiritual heart of China, where you can see the Great Monument to the People's Heroes and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.

  Afterward, proceed to the 600-year old Forbidden City to appreciate the magnificent complex of traditional architectures and hear the stories of royal families. When getting out from the north gate the emperor's huge courtyard, you will walk to Jingshan Park easily. From the top of Coal Hill in the park, you can get a great panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the old quarter of Beijing.

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  • Beijing

• Day 3: Beijing

  Today's journey is to the Great Wall, which you can't miss when you are in China. To avoid the crowds and get a better view, you will drive a little further, about 2.5 hours, to see Jinshanling Great Wall. It is one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall and keeps a lot of original features. According to your energy, you can do circular hiking on it for around three to four hours.

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  • Beijing

• Day 4: Beijing - Xi'an

  This morning, the visit to a morning food market and the Temple of Heaven will give you a deeper understanding of local people's life. After having breakfast at the hotel, you may like to stint yourself a little to try some local snacks at the market. While at the Temple of Heaven, you can see the locals doing various morning excises and join some of them to play Tai Chi.

  In the afternoon, take a high-speed train to Xi'an. Arrive after 5 to 6 hours, and then be greeted and escorted to the hotel.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 5: Xi'an

  The legendary Terracotta Warriors are the reason for 99% visitors coming to Xi'an. Today, you will spend two to three hours there marveling at this great wonder. After that, drive about one hour back to the downtown, visit the Ancient City Wall and try a cycling tour on it. Finally, end the day journey at Muslim Street, a narrow bazaar street linked with various shops and restaurants.

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  • Xi'an

• Day 6: Xi'an - Chongqing - Yangtze River

  After breakfast, board a high-speed train for about 5 hours to arrive in Chongqing. Be met and escorted to embark the ship for Yangtze River cruise. If time permits, have a detour to Chongqing Zoo to see the cute pandas. The ship usually departs from Chongqing at 9:30 pm and passengers are required to get on board between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 7: Yangtze River

  Have a relaxing morning and enjoy the scenery on both sides of Yangtze River; or take an optional land tour to Fengdu Ghost City at your own expense. In the afternoon, join a short trip provided by the cruise company to visit Shibaozhai, a historical red pavilion hanging on a solitary hill to serve as a path to the top of the hill where you can get a great view of the surrounded area. At night, be treated with a welcome banquet and party.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 8: Yangtze River

  Go on with another the leisurely morning on the board. If you are interested in Chinese history especially, the optional tour to the White King Town will be a good choice. In the afternoon, attend the tour to Shennv Stream. Take a wooden flat bottom boat to reach the depth of the valley, relish in the stunning scenery and catch the chance to see the original life of the locals.

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  • Yangtze River Cruise

• Day 9: Yangtze River - Yichang - Shanghai

  The Three Gorges Dam is a must-see wonder of engineering in modern time. Finish the tour to the dam at around 10:30 am and disembark the ship at 12:00 noon. Your private tour guide in Yichang will pick you up. Before heading to the airport, you will have a glimpse of the city at Riverside Park and a local market. Arrive in Shanghai at night by air and be transferred to the hotel.

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  • Shanghai

• Day 10: Shanghai Highlights

  As a microcosm of old Shanghai, the Bund will show you a spectacular international architecture and history exhibition. Your in-depth exploration of the Bund will start from the Broadway Mansion and end by the Previous Headquarters of HSBC. Your personal guide will tell you about the history behind these historic buildings. After it, continue to visit the Yu Garden and a silk workshop.

  In the afternoon, take a relaxing walk from Fuxing Park, where can see the locals enjoy their leisure time, such as dancing, playing cards, playing Tai Chi and playing badminton. Later, continue to Bugaoli to see the traditional Stone Gate (Stone Arched Gates). Finally, stop at a food market and try some popular dim sum.

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  • Shanghai

• Day 11: Shanghai

  It is a free day for you to do further exploration on your own.

  A recommended place is the People's Park, where you can even spend a full day to immerse yourself into the History Museum, Moca Shanghai and Shanghai Grand Theatre, or you may just walk around the park to have a glimpse of local people's leisure time and how the anxious parents try to find a spouse for their children who do not care whether to have a spouse at all. Alternatively, you can ask a taxi to the former French Concession and spend an afternoon at some cafe; or to A.P Plaza the biggest "fake market" in Pudong district.

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  • Shanghai

• Day 12: Shanghai, Departure

  Free time until be transferred to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your flight back home.

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